The Humble Hybrid Vehicle Isn’t Going Anywhere Yet
With EV prices high and supplies scarce, many drivers are finding that a few electric miles are better than none.
Toyota is still hyped on hybrids: The company recently unveiled a new Prius, the fifth iteration in the model’s 25-year run.
Photographer: Akio Kon/BloombergAt 78, Jim Beermann realizes his carbon footprint will go to zero sometime in the not-too-distant future. He’s just hoping to keep it relatively low in the meantime. So Beermann was frustrated to find that his senior center in Juno Beach, Florida, doesn’t have electric vehicle chargers or plans to build them anytime soon.
Like many people on the cusp of EV adoption, Beermann bought himself a hybrid instead. In a typical week, he drives his 2019 Ford Fusion — a plugless car — about 140 miles and uses a little less than three gallons of gasoline. “More than anything it’s the footprint I’m leaving,” he says. “I appreciate the fact that I’m using less gasoline … and the fact that I’m not using the car a lot is also reducing my footprint.”